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Education boss links increased enrolment to waiver of exam fees

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i. He was vowed to deregister private schools that employ teachers banned by TSC for indiscipline. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  Maryanne Gicobi  &  OUMA WANZALA

What you need to know:

  • Releasing the KCPE examination results on Wednesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said it was the highest number of candidates since the tests began 30 years ago.
  • The government has set aside Sh3 billion to pay the registration fee for Standard Eight and Form Four candidates in 2016.

The government has attributed the increase in candidates sitting for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) tests to the scrapping of examination fee.

Last year, the government decided to pay the fee for candidates in public primary and secondary schools.

Releasing the KCPE examination results on Wednesday, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i said it was the highest number of candidates since the tests began 30 years ago.

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“There is a significant increase in enrolment when the 2015 figures are compared to 2014. We attribute this to waiving of the fee,” he said.

The government has set aside Sh3 billion to pay the registration fee for Standard Eight and Form Four candidates in 2016.

Dr Matiang’i said Sh2.9 billion was paid to the Kenya National Examinations Council in 2015.

The fee is meant to ensure that no pupil or student misses the national examination.

“There are signs that the number of candidates will continue rising. The commitment of the government to fund and support education is bearing fruits,” Dr Matiang’i added.

More than 1.4 million candidates sat the KCPE and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations in 2015.

Dr Matiang’i said the government would release free primary and subsidised secondary education funds on time.

“No Standard Eight or Form Four child should be denied the opportunity to sit national examinations on account of failing to raise the fee,” Dr Matiang’i added.

The government provides Sh1,420 for a pupil in a public primary school every year while one in a public secondary school gets Sh12,687.

In this financial year, the government will use Sh10 billion to support 8.9 million pupils in public primary schools and Sh32.9 billion to cater for 2.34 million students in secondary schools.

Another Sh826 million will be used to support 55,000 trainees in youth polytechnics.

The CS said Sh93 million had been disbursed to 431 schools that provide alternative basic education and training.